Lots of smiles at Eugene Melnyk's annual skate for kids

There was a familiar face sitting on the visitor’s bench at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday as the Ottawa Senators went through their paces under the watchful eye of coach Guy Boucher.

Perhaps you’ve heard of this jolly old elf before; he goes by the name Santa Claus and he didn’t appear to offer Boucher any tips while taking in the twirl.

But only a few minutes after the Senators wrapped up their practice before boarding a flight to prepare to face the New Jersey Devils on the road Friday, Santa was among those who joined more than 100 school children for the 15th annual Eugene Melnyk Skate For Kids.

The players and coaching staff, who are generous with their time, also stuck around around to take a twirl with the kids along with Melnyk, who was accompanied by his family. It’s a great chance to provide good memories during the holiday season.

Like the participants in the past, the students this year from St. Michael Catholic school and D. Roy Kennedy school in Ottawa all received a Senators jersey, a helmet and a new set of skates donated by Melnyk.

“Even though we’ve been doing this for 15 years, every single year it’s a whole new group of kids, and it’s delightful to be able to see the smiles on their faces and the anticipation,” Melnyk said in a statement.

“Many of these kids have never been on the ice, and many of them have never even seen the ice, to have them here to put on helmets, skates and Senators’ jerseys, there’s smiles all around and especially with me.”

A team photo from the 15th annual Eugene Melnyk Skate for Kids.Jean Levac /
Postmedia News

The staff and players enjoy being out there with the kids. Many of them stayed around as long as they could. Associate coach Marc Crawford and defencemen Ben Harpur were among the last to leave the ice and Boucher noted everybody appreciates these events.

Former Senators alternate captains Chris Phillips and Chris Neil, who both work in front office roles with the organization, were on the ice along with original captain Laurie Boschman.

Less than 24 hours earlier, the Senators made their annual visit to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and the story was told by the smiles on the faces. That’s the same way it was Thursday.

“It’s good for everybody. It’s a win-win situation,” Boucher said. “It’s a way to give back and it’s a way to re-connect. In this business, it’s such a grind, you’re stuck in it and sometimes you forget life because you’re not living it, you’re just grinding through it.

“For us, it’s a way to give back. It’s a way to feel what society has to deal with every day. We’ve been blessed as individuals and we’ve been blessed as an organization to have those moments to share. Whether it’s at the hospital with families that are having hard times or here on the ice with families that are having tough times.

“A lot of these kids are refugees, a lot of these kids don’t speak english, so it’s a big change in their lives. They know how exciting this is and a lot of them excited to get on (the ice) and, for a lot of them, this is their first time on skates. It’s a big excitement to be part of it. We’re privileged in our lives and privileged to live that with them. It’s very big and important for all of us.”

Ben Harpur of the Ottawa Senators sits with one of the many skaters during the annual Eugene Melnyk Skate for Kids.Jean Levac /
Postmedia News

Alternate captain Mark Borowiecki said it’s nice to help the kids have good memories.

“It’s always fun and those are things you remember over the course of a year,” Borowiecki said. “Just talking to a few the teachers out there, you get a sense of the stuff these kids have gone through and what they’re going through, and, for the most part in this room, we’re all pretty blessed.

“We’ve had a pretty fortunate upbringing and a lot of privilege. To have the chance to connect with some kids who haven’t had the chance to have that and make their day a little bit is good for a little bit of perspective and good for everyone involved.”

It was day for the kids to remember and a chance for Santa to relax before he goes to work Christmas Eve.

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